FOR WE ARE JOURNEYING
Autobiography of Richard Yerby
Dedicated to each of you kind and generous souls who
has bestowed any degree of kindness upon me since the day I was
born. Thank God for the vast multitude of you who have done so. I
pray for our Gracious Lord to Abundantly and Richly bless you daily.
You (and my Lord God) have made me most desirous to bestow all the kindness I
possibly can on everyone I possibly can, as I journey to the Celestial
City.
WE ARE JOURNEYING
HEAR, I PRAY YOU
A MAN CHILD IS BORN
(My parents, their marriage, the births
of their 4 children, and my life up until I start the 1st grade of
elementary school at the beginning of September 1952.)
MAY LEARN
(From
the time I enter the 1st grade of Vernon Elementary School at the
beginning of September 1952 up to Mother’s death just over 1 year and 7 months
later in March 1954.)
THE STING OF DEATH
(My
Mother’s death in March 1954.)
THE GOD OF ALL
COMFORT
(From
Mother’s death in March 1954 until I start the 5th grade of
elementary school in September 1956.)
DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE
(From the beginning of my 5th grade of school in
September 1956, until I start the 7th grade entering junior high
school in September 1958. Daddy and we his sons tear down our old shack and
build a new house for our family. Daddy remarries.)
AND THE CHILD GREW
(My 3
years of junior high school, grades 7 thru 9, starting at the beginning of September
1958 and ending at the end of May 1961, and the following summer of 1961.)
GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES
(My 3 years of high school, grades 10
thru 12, graduating at the end of May 1964.)
HE IS OF AGE
(From the beginning of June 1964 thru Christmas 1964 and thru New
Year’s holidays 1965. Daddy unceremoniously totally releases me from his strict
dominion over me, his son. I begin to work for wages to earn money for
college.)
OUT…FROM THY FATHER’S HOUSE
(From
the time I depart Daddy’s house for Auburn, Alabama early that frosty morning
about 6 January 1965, till a Saturday morning in late February 1965, relaxing
in the lounge of the Student Union Building at Auburn University, a time of
reflection and a milestone in my life.)
FORGET ALL MY TOIL, AND ALL MY FATHER’S HOUSE
(A
snowy, leisurely Saturday morning in late February 1965 on Auburn University’s
campus. A time of deep reflection.)
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
(From
early January 1965 to the end of Spring Quarter at Auburn University in early
June 1966.)
ALL THINGS ARE FULL OF LABOUR
(From early June 1966 until the 1st week of
January 1967.)
(From
the 1st week of January 1967 till late September 1967. I am
seriously injured. It takes months to recover.)
(My junior year at Auburn University, September 1967 thru May
1968.)
STRENGTH TO BATTLE…IN HIS YOUTH
(Summer
1968, US Army Airborne training at Ft. Benning, Georgia and then Marine Officer
Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia.)
MUCH LEARNING
(My
university senior year. From the start of the Fall Quarter at Auburn in late
September 1968 thru 23 August 1969, the day I graduate from Auburn University.)
FORGETTING THOSE
THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND
(From
Sunday 24 August 1969 thru reporting in to The Basic School at Quantico,
Virginia in late September [likely the 23rd] 1969.)
(The
Basic School for Marine Corps junior officers’ training, Quantico, Virginia
from late September 1969 to the end of February 1970.)
COME YE…APART…AND REST A WHILE
(From
the time I left the Tiptons’ house near Fredericksburg, Virginia on a morning
at the end of February 1970 thru reporting in at Vance Air Force Base, Enid,
Oklahoma for jet pilot training at the end of March 1970.)
(One
year of Air Force pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma from
early April 1970 to late March 1971.)
A TRAVELLER
(Traveling between Vance
Air Force Base, Enid, Oklahoma and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,
Havelock, North Carolina. From the very last of March 1971 to late April 1971.)
BY THE SEA SIDE
(Marine Corps Air Station
Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina. Part 1: From late April 1971 to the end
of September 1972.)
AMONG THIEVES, LAWLESS, HYPROCRITES, LIARS, DECEIVERS, MURDERERS,
AND OPPRESSORS
(Marine
Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina: Part 2. From the
beginning of October 1972 to around the start of summer 1973.)
A CALM…AND CALLING
OF GOD
(MCAS
Cherry Point, Part 3. From early summer 1973 thru September 1973.)
A FAR COUNTRY
(From
September 1973, the day my squadron Commanding Officer at Cherry Point told me
the Marine Corps will soon send me to Japan, till I arrive at my new duty
station in Japan on 5 December 1973.)
THE IDOLS OF THE HEATHEN
(Marine
Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Part 1, from 5 December
1973 thru 30 April 1974.)
THEY THAT MAKE THEM ARE LIKE UNTO THEM
(U.S.
MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Part 2. From 1 May 1974 thru 31
August 1974.)
FOLLOW ME
(U.S. Marine Corps Air
Station Iwakuni, Japan. Part 3. From 1 September 1974 till I board the sleeper
train at Iwakuni Station the night of 13 March 1975 to permanently depart this
U.S. military base in Japan, ending my 5 years and 5 months of full time active
duty service as a Marine Corps officer and jet pilot and starting my lifetime
calling from my God to be His missionary in Japan. This monumental
“change in life” is likely 2nd in Spiritual importance to my
conversion and salvation.)
IN A STRANGE
COUNTRY
(The
night of 13 March 1974, departing from Iwakuni on the sleeper train. I bed down in that uncomfortable bouncing sleeper
berth praising God that all my past life in my native land (with all its joys
and blessing, trials and troubles) is now history. I profusely
praise God for allowing me the thrilling adventures of piloting Marine Corps
small jet warplanes in several far and wide locations on earth (including the
adventures of experiencing life in those domestic and foreign lands). I praise
and thank my Lord for keeping me safely thru all those Marine
flying dangers and that I am totally finished with that life
(alive and in good health at a prime age of life). But much more so,
I praise God for giving me a calling to preach Christ in Japan till my earthly
life ends. I feel like the most blessed human soul on earth.)
SHALL SPEAK WITH
NEW TONGUES
(From the time I arise from
the berth on the sleeper train on the morning of 14 March 1975 till I depart
Guam for Japan on Thursday 2 September 1976. The majority of that time, I am
studying the Japanese language in the missionary language school in Karuizawa
Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.)
HE LEADETH ME
(From Thursday 2 September 1976 to Thursday 29 September 1977. I
travel to the States and back to Japan, mainly to attend a funeral in the U.S.
Then I soon fly to Guam again, to preach there and to take a missionary journey
to Truk and Ponape islands.)
SHOW ME THY WAYS,
O LORD
(From 30 September 1977 to 1 August 1978, the day I rent a house
in the town of Matsuida. During that time, I make another most blessed and
fruitful trip to Guam.)
THINK ON THESE
THINGS
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